The X-Files: Collective
by the-straight-dope
Summary: Mulder and Scully visit the small town of Eckley, Colorado for a missing person case, only to find the story is much more sinister.
1. Chapter 1

**THE X FILES**

" _Collective"_

A man walks along a dark street to a bus stop in the city of Denver, Colorado. The man wears a crisp business suit, blue and pink striped tie, black slacks and jacket, with a light blue shirt. He sits on the bench in the small alcove that encloses the stop. On the walls of the alcove are pictures of missing people. Women, children, men. The walls are painted with posters all asking the same question. _Have you seen this person?_ The man doesn't pay any attention to it. He probably would have, if he had known he was about to be on one of those posters. The bus arrives and stops next to the man. The doors open and the man looks up to the bus driver. The bus driver, who is currently pointing a Browning GP 35 at the man's head. He doesn't hesitate in pulling the trigger.

A crowd of police photographers gather around the the very same bus stop, snapping pictures of blood spatters. Some men in clearly marked Forensics uniforms grab hairs with tweezers and place them in small bags marked "Evidence". There is no body anywhere to be seen. Denver Police Officer Rob Grant scratches his head as he watches them work. Rob hears some commotion to his right and turns to see a man pushing through the crowd of coroners and photographers, a woman following close behind.

Rob walks to intercept the two as they begin to walk toward the crime scene.

"Excuse me, can I help you?"

The man and the woman whirl around to face him.

"Agent Fox Mulder, this is my partner, agent Scully." The man says as he and the woman both take out FBI badges.

"I'm Captain Rob Grant, Denver Police. I was unaware the FBI would be included in this investigation."

"No one is." Mulder jokes with a smile.

Rob doesn't smile.

Rob walks off, an expression of annoyance on his face.

"What's his problem?" Mulder asks.

"I don't know. Let's go see if some of the other officers will be more helpful." Scully begins to walk over to an officer near a squad car.

But something struck Mulder's eye. "Be right there," he says as he walks to the stop. He looks at the blood spatter, and the bullet hole in the back of the alcove. Then he walks right over to the bench and picks up a dead bug sitting on it. He inspects it, it looks like a cicada, but, not. It's far to small, and he'd never seen a cicada with forelegs like a mantis. His brow furrows. He calls out to his partner.

"Scully!"

"Yeah?"

" Come over here a minute."

Scully excuses herself from the conversation and stride over to where Mulder is intently looking at the bug.

"What is it?" she asks.

"You ever seen one of these before?" he holds out the bug for Scully to see.

"No. Where'd you find it?"

"It landed on my shoulder."

"Well, good thing you killed it, it looks bloodthirsty."

"It does, doesn't it."


	2. Chapter 2

**THE X FILES**

" _Collective"_

Mulder sits in his hotel room, inspecting the bug. He turns it around and stares at the back side. His concentration is interrupted by the ringing of the phone. He picks it up.

"This is Mulder."

He listens.

"I'll be right there."

Mulder's car pulls up near a bus. Police officers surround the bus, and Scully stands nearby. Mulder jogs to Scully.

"What's up?"

"They found out who the blood and hair at the bus station belonged to. Name's Kevin Harrison. Police got a call reporting a dead man in the bus and when they got here they found Harrison's blood everywhere."

"What about the body?"

"Right over there." Scully motions to a stretcher with a dead bus driver. The coroner's are loading it into the van.

"Is that Harrison?"

"No, we still have no idea where he is."

"Is that it?"

"The police did find something interesting, though."

Scully removes a small plastic baggie from her coat pocket. It contains a bug. Mulder's bug.

"The police say they called in some biologist from CU, he had no idea what it was."

"They gonna inspect it?"

"Yep. You see there were two of these things on the bus. This one, found on one of the seats, and another, found inside the driver's mouth."

"Cause of death?"

"Strangulation. Although, one of the coroner's estimated it happened as many as two days ago."

"And they say talking on the phone and driving is dangerous."

Scully smiles.

Mulder looks around.

"Anyone know where this bus was headed?"

"It's final destination was a small town east of here. Eckley."

"I've always wanted to drive 3 hours in the middle of nowhere to find someone who may or may not be there." Mulder quips.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm." Scully said as she stepped in to her car.

Mulder begins to walk to his car.

"No! I'm serious."

"Yeah. You want to follow me?"

"I'll lead, my sense of direction will be sung about by future poets for years to come."

"I'm sure."


End file.
